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In the dining room the lunch buffet was being set out. H-J and I quickly took that quick way through to the cafeteria and aft lounge before disturbing anyone, and we were out on deck too…I was in “taking details” mode!

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Meanwhile H-J has unexpectedly met a former schoolfriend, and that friend’s sister is also on board, and was later to interview me for local radio!

We sat for a while in the aft lounge, and H-J showed me a nice compilation of information and photos which she had made about Richard With, his local family connections, and the early hurtigrute ships. It was at this point that someone mentioned the carpet. Looking down, I immediately had to photograph it! I was convinced it had changed since my previous trips, but H-J wasn’t sure.

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Well, here is the carpet photo! Top right is it’s predecessor, a rather amusing recreation of a wooden floor, taken in the Spring of 2006. (Although I had travelled on Nordstjernen since then, I don’t have a view showing the area in question that would help narrow down carpet change date, but the current one has a fresh look.) Bottom right shows a colour variant of the wooden floor style carpet, which in 2006 was in the cafeteria.

Later that day when disembarking at one of the ports, I suddenly noticed a doormat, made from the old carpet! I intended to photograph it later when there were fewer people coming and going, but totally forgot to do so. Hopefully there will be a doormat still around in August …I also found another at one of the doors onto the boat deck, and there may have been others!

This carpet investigation actually raises more possibilities of “then and now” comparisons of other furnishings, which I must refrain from following up immediately if I am ever to complete this trip report while it is still current news! But to sum up a number of discussions we had, the consensus is that refurbishment on Nordstjernen has been subtle, retaining overall colour scheme and ambiance to a greater degree than has recently been the case on Lofoten.

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As the time for departure approached, quite a crowd had assembled on the quay. Rather than recording the wider view I seem to have been more intent on trying to capture the sense of occasion and “last time” with these portraits of people of all ages.

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However we were interrupted at that moment by an announcement that there would be a slight delay in departure in order to load onto the ship some equipment for the forthcoming cruises in Svalbard. Naturally I headed along to the bridge wing to see what was going on. It turned out to include a couple of Polar Cirkel boats! Ylva was already loaded onto the foredeck, and a forklift truck had just brought Moffen. Anyone who has taken an Explorer cruise to Antarctica or Greenland will understand my excitement at seeing these familiar craft, and the memories and experiences they evoke. Furthermore I am fortunate indeed to have the August voyage to look forward too.

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